Automatic coupler with release



Aug. 13, 1957 E. A. LARSSON AUTOMATIC COUPLER WITH RELEASE 4 Sheeis-Sheet l Filed July 11, 1955 INVENTOR Ernst A.Lorsson. BY m w MA ATTOENE Y 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOBNE Y E. A. LARSSON AUTOMATIC COUPLER WITH RELEASE Aug. 13, 1957 Filed July 11, 1955 E. A. LARSSON AUTOMATIC COUPLER WITH RELEASE Aug. 13, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 11, 1955 INVENTOR. 'Erns1l-\.Lorsson.

ATTORNEY 3, 1957 E. A. LARSSON 2,802,581

AUTOMATIC CQUPLER WITH RELEASE IN VEN TOR.

Ernst A.L0rsson.

mum

ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent 'AUTOMATIC COUPLER WITH RELEASE Ernst A. Larsson, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to The Ohio Brass Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Application July 11, 1955, Serial No. 521,001

16 claims. (c1. 213-45 adapted to prevent damage to car frames and the like in the event 'of collision.

' Still another object of the invention is to provide a twopart draft coupling with release means which is effective to prevent the application of excessive buffing forces through the coupling.

In the art pertaining to railway trains and the like, the

cars'of the train are ordinarily connected together by means of couplers which are utilized for transmitting draft and boiling forces between the cars while permitting the necessary lateral and vertical movements of the cars. Such couplers usually embody draft mechanism such as metallic springs or alternating layers of rubber and metal for the purpose of cushioning the cars against shocks and to-minimize vibrations and variations in the speed of the car of an oscillating nature. Such couplers are ordinarily afiixed to the under frame of the car and, inthe event of collision, substantial damage may be caused to the under frames and sills of the cars because of the relative rigidity of the cars which are held apart by the coupler. I have, as shown in my application Serial #331,639, filed January 16, 1953, devised a draw bar or link type connector of the so-called semi-permanent design, in which the application of buffing forces between the cars, such as are produced by collision, cause certain members to shear to permit two portions of the connector to telescope together. The reduction in the length of the connector permits the ends of the cars to come together to absorb the force of the'collision and effectively prevent any damage to the underframe or sills of the cars.

The present invention is concerned with car couplers utilizing the principle of the connector of the application referred to above in separable car couplers. t More specifically, the invention is concerned with railway trains having connect-disconnect couplers in which a release means is incorporated, but also with car couplers incorporating such means. The coupling arrangement of the invention involves two couplers having coupler heads which are connected together so as to prevent relative movement, not only in the longitudinal direction, but also against relative transverse movement and the couplers are suspended from, and mounted on, the cars in a manner such that the longitudinal alignment of the couplers may be maintained.

' The coupler head is supported from a coupler body by a coupler bar which is carried in bearing members in the housing. The coupler bar acts upon the draft mechanism which is held between the bearing members and one of the bearing members is secured to the housing by a shear member in'such a manner that when the excessive bufling forces-are applied,- the shear member releases the bearing coupler 13 constitutes a unitary member with the draw,

bar '19 and'the'flange-zfl and incorporates a hollowcylin ice member and draft mechanism and permits the draft bar to telescope into the housing. The ends of the cars are thus permitted to come together to engage the so-called anti-climbers which prevent the end of the rearcar from clambing onto the rear end of the lead car.

The invention, together with further objects, features and advantages thereof will be more readily apparent from a consideration of the following specification and claims taken in connection with the appended drawings, in

which-- Fig. 1 is a partial view showing two cars and the couplers of the invention in a side view and the supports and mountings for the coupler;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the coupler of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the coupler of Fig. 2; i

Fig. 4 is a top view particularly of the housing and suspension means for the couplers;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the coupler taken in the direction 55 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken in direction 66 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view illustrating particularly the release means of the invention taken in the direction 7-7 in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the coupler bar and draft mechanism of the coupler of the invention.

Referring now to Fig. l, the two cars 10 and 11 are held together by two couplers 12 and 13 which are attached to the frames of the cars at the rear and front ends thereof respectively. The coupler 12 is supported at the front end by pivot 14 and toward the rear end by a sector bar 15 to permit the coupler to move about the pivot and maintain alignment with the coupler 13. The coupler 13 is similarly supported at the read end by pivot 16 and at the front end by a sector bar 17. The couplers 12 and 13 are of the same design and construction, each having a part and a counterpart for cooperating with the counterpart and part respectively of the associated coupler.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and'3', the coupler 13 comprises a housing 18 having a draw bar 19 and a flange 20, and a coupler head 21. The draw bar 19 extends longitudinally from the housing 18 to provide a suitable radius arm and comprises a beam having an l-shaped cross-section. A pivot member 22 is welded to the draw bar member and has an opening 23 (see Fig. 4) for receiving the pivot pin (not shown) of the pivot 16. The flange 20 extends up wardly from the housing 18 to space the coupler from the car frame and includes a T-shaped slot 24 for accommodating the sector bar 17. The sector bar 17 serves as a vertical support for the coupler while the draft and buffing forces are transmitted to and from the car principally through the pivot 16.

The coupler head 21 is carried by a coupler bar 26,

hereinafter described, and is pivoted upon a horizontal pin 27 at the forward end of the coupler bar. The coupler head includes a knuckle 28, a buffer member 29,

a projecting piece 30, and a counterpart recess 31, all for engaging and cooperating with the associated part of the companion coupler, e. g. the coupler 12 in Fig. l.'

The coupler head 21 is normally held in a horizontal position by the arm 32 which engages a bearing member 33 carried byv the arm 34015 the coupler bar 26. 1

The bearing member 33 is held by a spring 35 (see Fig. 5) so that the coupler head 21 is maintained in a vertically aligned relation with the cooperating coupler head to permit relative'sliding vertical movement to heads. The knuckle 28 is normally held in a locking position by suitable mechanism (not shown) and may be released by an operating lever 36.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, the housing 18 of the Patented Aug. 13, 1957* 3 dried lower part 40. The part 40 has the ends thereof reinforced by side flanges,- such as the sideflanges-- 41 and 42 shown in Figs. and 6.

The coupler bar 26 is arranged to slide within the part and is supported by two-bearing members 43 and 44. The coupler bar 26is formed with-theforward portion 45 of relatively larger diameter thanastem 46 and the end of the portion 45 constituting aperpiheral shoulder 47. The forward portion-is carried'in the first bearing member 43 which has a forwardly extendingportion 48 to provide an extended bearing surface for the coupler bar. A collar 49 is threaded on the end" of the stem'46 and is secured by means of a pin 50'. The mem-- ber 44 serves as a bearing for and is engaged by the collar 49.

The draft and buffing forces are transmitted between the housing 18 of the coupler and the coupler bar 26 by means of a draft mechanism 51 which isheld between the bearing members 43'and 44. The draft mechanism 51 comprises a plurality of fiat annular pieces of resilient rubber like material 52 with interdisposed metallic'members53and having annular metallic endmembers 54. and 55. Theend members 54 and 55 are engaged'by the shoulder 47 of the coupler bar 26 at the front end thereof and by the collar 49 at the rear end thereof. Draft forces are transmitted from the coupler bar through the collar 49, end member 55 and the resilient members 52- to the end member 54 and the bearing member 43, thence through the housing 18 and the draw bar'19 to the frame of the car. Conversely bufiing forces are transmitted by the coupler bar 26 from the. shoulder 47, through the end member 54, the resilient members 52, the endmember 55 andthe bearing member 44, thence. through the housing.18 and the draw bar 19 to the frame of the car.

The draft mechanism shown is of the rubber mat design which is well known in the art to which this invention pertains. The practice of the invention is not, however, limited to the use of such draft mechanism and a-helical spring draft mechanism may be substituteditherefore. Also, while the draft mechanism is of generally annular cross-section with the mechanism surrounding the coupler bar stem 46, suitable modifications to such arrangement may be made within the spirit of the invention;

As is shown in Fig. 7, the bearing member 44 is secured to the housing 18 by means of four radially directed bolts 56 which extend through the cylindrical part 40 of the housing and are threaded into suitable radially directed openings in the bearing member 44. The cross-section of the bolts 56 and shear strengthofthe material of which the bolts are formed, is suchthat whenzbuffingforces: of

greater than the desired amount are applied to the bearing member 44 of the draft mechanism 51 bythe end member 55, the bolts 56 will be sheared and the bearing member 44 slide toward the rear of the housing permitting the coupler bar 26 to telescope into the housing. The portion 57 of the housing is of uniform diameter to permit the bearing member 44 to slide freely in thelower part.

Asshown in Fig. 6, front bearing member 43 is-formed in the end part 48 thereof with radially directedgrooves 58 and projections 59 which cooperate with a. set screw 60 to holdthe bearing member against turning: The-en'-- tire head assembly, comprising thecoupler head 21- and the coupler bar 26, is restrained against turning on-its longitudinal axis by the forward side walls of the body member 18, e. g. the wall 41 in Fig. 5, and-the spaced forward end portions 61' and 62 of the coupler bar 26.

In assembling the coupler, the-bearing member 43-is first placed on the part 45 of the coupler bar 26. The draft mechanism 51 is then placed in position over the stem 46 with the annular member 54 bearing upon the shoulder 47. The collar 49 is then screwed on the end of the stem 46 until the requisite compressive force-is exerted upon the annular member 55; whereupon the. pin 50' is insertedito lock the collar 49 in. place. Theextent to which the draft mechanism should be compressed will depend upon the characterand designof the draft mechanism; but, for example, a mechanism utilizing standard elements of synthetic rubber having an outside diameter of 6", an inside diameter of 3" and a thickness of /5" with A" steel plates may be brought under a pressure of two to five thousand pounds. The assembly is then inserted in the housing 40 with the collar 49 received in the bearing member 44 and the bearing member 43 threaded into place and locked.

In use, the shearing of the bolts 56 by reason ofthe application of excessive bufling forces against the member 44 by the draft mechanism 51 and the coupler bar 26, causes the coupler bar to telescope into the lower part 40 of the housing 18. The extentof travel of the coupler bar 26 from the end portions 61 and 62 to the portion 48 of the bearing member 43 is sufiicient to permit the anti-climbers 63 and 64 of the cars 10 and 11 (see Fig. 1) to become engaged. Thus, if the-buffing forces are produced by a collision, the engagement of" the ends of the cars serves to transmit the forces from one car to the other without the damage to the under frame, which would result if the couplers 12 and 13 were ofthe usual non-releasing type.

It is to be understood that theforegoing description.

the front end of the second car separable from the' first named coupler, each coupler comprising a housing and a coupler head and each coupler head having an interengaging means for transmitting draft forces, a buffer member for transmitting buffing forces, and means for preventing relative lateral movement of the coupler heads, means afiixed to the frame of each car for supporting the couplers and permitting the couplers to maintain an aligned relationship, and means in each ofthe said couplers inter connecting the coupler head and the coupler housing, the

interconnecting means of the couplers including shear means for releasing the coupler head to permit the carends to come together upon the application of bufling forces of greater than a pre-determined amount.

2. In combination, two rail cars, two separable car couplers coupling the said cars for transmitting draft and bufiing forces between the cars, a pivot and a-sector bar on the first car and a pivot and a sector bar on the second car for supporting the couplers in aligned relationship, each of the couplers comprising a coupler housing and coupler head and each of the coupler heads having interengaging means for transmitting draft forces and a buffer member for transmitting bufiing forces, and a projection on each coupler head fitted into a recess in the remaining coupler head to prevent relative lateral displacement of the two heads, and means in each of the said couplers inter-connecting the coupler head and the coupler housing of at least one of the said couplers including shear means for releasing the coupler head to permit'the cars to come together upon the application of bufling forces of greater than a pre-determined amount.

3; The invention-in accordance with claim 2, the said interconnecting means including a resilient draft mechanism to which the coupler head is connected, a member" fixed to the housing at one end of the draft mechanism fortransmitting draft forces between the coupler head and a member at the remaining end of the coupler housing, the draft mechanism and a shear member between. the housing and the second named member for transmitting bufiing forces between thecoupler head and releasing the second named member when the buffing forcesbe? tween the cars exceeds a pre-determined amount, and an. opening in the housing to accommodate bulfing -.move-- mam ment of the said second member and the draft mechanism.

4. In combination, two rail cars, a coupler at the rear end of the first one ofthe cars and a counterpart coupler at the front end of the second car separable from the first named coupler, each coupler comprising a housing and a coupler head, and each coupler head having an interengaging means for transmitting draft forces, a buffer member for transmitting buffing forces, and means for preventing relative lateral movement of the coupler heads, means aflixed to the frame of each car for supporting the couplers and permitting the couplers to maintain an aligned relationship, and means in each of the said couplers interconnecting the coupler head and the coupler housing, said interconnecting means each including resilient draft mechanism to which the coupler head is connected, a fixed member at one end ofthe draft mechanism for transmitting draft forces between the coupler head and the coupler housing and a member at the remaining end of the draft mechanism for transmitting bufiing forces between the coupler head and the coupler housing, the last named member of at least one of the couplers being secured to the coupler housing by a transversely disposed shear member for releasing the member by buffing forces of greater than a pre-determined amount between the cars and to permit the coupler head to telescope into the coupler housing and the adjacent ends of the two cars to come together.

5. A draft coupling comprising, in combination, a first car coupler comprising 'a coupler housing having means for supporting the coupler from a car, a coupler head and a coupler bar extending from the coupler head into the housing, a draft mechanism in the housing and support means at each end thereof, means on the coupler bar engaged with the draft mechanism at each end thereof for transmitting draft and bufiing forces from the coupler bar through the draft mechanism to the housing, a shear member extending between the support means at the buffing end of the draft mechanism and the housing for releasing the draft mechanism upon the application of buffing forces of greater than a pre-determined amount, and a second coupler having the head thereof engaged vith the head of the first coupler and separable thererom.

6. A draft coupling comprising, in combination, a first car coupler comprising a coupler housing having means for supporting the coupler from a car, a coupler head and a coupler bar extending from the coupler head into the housing, a draft mechanism in the body and support means at each end thereof carried by the body, means on the coupler bar engaged with the draft mechanism at each end thereof for transmitting draft and bufiing forces from the coupler bar through the draft mechanism to the housing, a shear member extending between the support means at the buifing end of the draft mechanism and the housing for releasing the draft mechanism upon the application of bufling forces of greater than a pre-determined amount with an opening in the housing for accommodating bufiing movement of the support mechanism and draft means upon release thereof, the said coupler head having interengaging means and a bufiing member and a longitudinally directed projection and a longitudinally directed recess on the buffing member, and a second coupler of the same construction as the first and separable therefrom the interengaging means of the two couplers and the buffer members holding the coupler heads against relative longitudinal movement, and the projections and recesses holding the coupler heads against relative transverse movement.

7. A draft coupling comprising, in combination, two separable car couplers each comprising a coupler head having locking means for holding the couplers to prevent relative longitudinal movement, and means for holding the coupler heads against relative transverse movement, a housing, and means for pivotally mounting the housing on a car whereby the two couplers are maintained in. longitudinal aligned relationship, releasable draft means including a draft mechanism having a longitudinal opening and annular end parts disposed within the housing, means retaining the draft gear in the housing comprising a first bearing member at the draft end of the draft mechanism secured to the housing, and a second bearing member at the buffing end of the draft mechanism mounted in the housing and arranged to slide therein, a plurality of shear members extending through the housing and into the second bearing member for.

holding the member in the body, a draft bar extending from the coupler head through the first bearing member and sliding therein and engaged with the annular end part of the draft mechanism at the draft end thereof, a stem projecting through the longitudinal opening in the draft mechanism and into the second bearing, a collar on the stem sliding in the second bearing member and engaged with the annular end part of the draft mechanism at the buffing end thereof, the said couplers being adapted to transmit draft and buffing forces between two cars on which the couplers are mounted and being adapted to shear the shear members holding the second bearing member to release the second bearing member and permit the draft bar to telescope into the housing when the coupler bars are subjected to buffing forces of greater than a pre-determined amount.

8. A car coupler comprising a housing, means on the housing for supporting the coupler from the bottom of a car, a coupler head with separable means for preventing relative movement with respect to the head of 21 separable counter-part coupler, and a coupler bar extending from the coupler head into the housing, the said bar having a reduced stem portion at the housing end thereof, bearing means for supporting the coupler bar in the housing comprising a first annular bearing member secured to the housing, a second bearing member spaced from the first bearing member and a collar on the stem, the said bar and the said collar being arranged to slide in the first bearing member and the second bearing member respectively, a draft mechanism disposed between the two bearing members and having two annular end pieces hearing upon the bearing members and engaged by the bar and the collar respectively for transmitting draft and bufiing forces between the housing and the draft bar through the draft mechanism, and a shear member secur ing the second bearing member to the housing whereby application of a bufling force of greater than a pre-determined amount through the draft bar and draft mechanism to the second bearing member may free the second bearing member and permit the coupler bar and coupler head to telescope into the housing.

9. The invention in accordance with claim 8 in which the coupler bar extends forwardly of the first bearing member and the housing has an opening back of the second bearing member for buffing movement greater than that normally afforded by the draft mechanism when the second bearing member is released.

10. The invention in accordance with claim 8 in which the draft mechanism comprises a plurality of annular rings of resilient material alternating with metallic plates and annular metallic end pieces surrounding the stem and compressed between the two bearing members.

11. The invention in accordance with claim 8 in which the longitudinal opening is formed by a cylindrical body portion of the housing and having skirted side portions extending longitudinally from the sides of the cylindrical portion at the ends thereof for reinforcing the housing and the support means.

12. The invention in accordance with claim 11 in which a plurality of bolts are directed radially through the cylindrical portion of the housing into the second bearing member whereby excessive buffing forces shear the bolts and permit the second bearing member and draft mechanism to move in the housing.

13,. The invention in accordance with claim 11 in which the coupler bar has two portions spaced from the skirted side portions of the body for limiting the rotation of the coupler bar and coupler head in the bearing members.

14. A car coupler comprising a housing, means on the the housing for support ng the coupler from the bottom of a car, a coupler head, and a coupler bar extending from the coupler head into the housing, the said bar having a reduced stem portion at the housing end thereof, bearing means for supporting the coupler bar in the housing comprising a first annular bearing member secured to the housing, the coupler bar being arranged to slide in the saidfirst bearing member, and the bar and the first bearing member having radially directed interengaging grooves and projections for holding the coupler bar against rotation with respect to the housing, a second bearing member spacedv from the first bearing member in the housing with an opening in the housing for accommodating bufiing movement of the second bearing member and a collar afiixed to the stem and arranged to slide in the second bearing member, a draft mechanism disposed between the second bearing member and having two annular end pieces bearing upon the bearing members and engaged by the bar and the collar respectively for transmitting draft andbuflingforces between the housing and the draft forces sufficient to shear the said shear member are applied to the draw bar.

15. The invention in accordance with claim 14 in which the coupler bar has a horizontal pivot pin at the coupler head end thereof and the coupler head is pivoted upon the pin, a depending member on, the coupler head, and means on the draft bar engaged with the depending member on the coupler head for holding the coupler head in a horizontal position.

16. The invention in accordance with claim 15 in which the said means comprises a movable bearing member and spring means for holding the bearing member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,020,445 Potter Mar. 19, 1912 2,052,993 Tom'linson Sept. 1, 1936 2,113,542 Dean Apr. 5, 1938 2,250,425 Van Dorn July 22, 1941 

